Plate holder and adjuster.



' No. 758,242. I PATENTBD APR.26,1904.

w.- H. GOLDING. PLATE HOLDER AND ADJUSTER APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1903.

Attorney ammo" wAsuma'rou u. c,

Patented April 26, 1904;.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVILLTAM H. GOLDING, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLATEb HOLDER AND ADJUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,242, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed February 16, 1903. Serial No. 148,556. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H; GoLDINe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston,

in the county of Suffolk, State of Massacl1usetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate Holders and Adjusters,

. adjuster particularly adapted for securing electrotype-plates to the grooved iron baseblock usually used therewith and adjusting said plates for multicolor-work.

The invention has for an object to providean improved construction of register-gage for the purpose of securing an accurate adjustment of successively-used plates in multicolor work, so that the margin thereof will be exactly alike and a perfect register secured for each color.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of wedge-clamp cooperating with these gages to secure the plate in fixed position when the desired adjustment is reached. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan showing the register-gages and Wedge-clamps applied to a plate, the baseupon which said plate is disposed being broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail perspective with the parts of the register-gage separated; Fig. 4, a vertical section through one of the wedge-clamps on the line 4 4. of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a detail perspective of said clamp with the parts separated; Fig. 6, an elevation of the fork-wrench for operating both the register gage and wedge-clamp, and Fig. 7 a section showing a modified application of the clamping-block.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts.

The letter A designates a metallic base, preferably that ordinarily used, which is provided with a series of undercut channels or ways A of any form-for instance, having inwardly beveled or inclined side walls A as shown in Fig. 3-while the plate B, containing the matter to be printed, is disposed upon this base and the edges thereof preferably beveled, as at B, to secure the most desirable contact with the holding devices. The register-gage is composed of a screw member O,

adapted to thread into a divided clampingblock U, having oppositely-beveled walls (E, which when the screw is tightened contact with the walls A of the-base A and also with the threads of the screw to thus firmly hold the gagein position. The head C of this screw is provided with a transverse slot 0* for the application of a tool for clamping the parts together and also with a socket O fora purpose hereinafter described. The periphery of the head C has an inclinedwall B adapted to bear against asimilarly-inclined Wall O, formed in the cam-ring O while the outer periphery of this ring is also beveled, as at O to fit within a beveled inner periphery O of the contactplate G which is provided with a beveled edge C to bear against the edge B of the plate B. The clamping-block O, screw O, and contactplate O may be used without the other parts of the gage, as shown in Fig. 7. This contact plate is preferably of rectangular formation, so as to secure an extended bearing-surface upon the edge of the printing-plate, while the cam -ring C is provided with a socket O therein, adapted to receive an adenters the socket and the other separated prong or projection D of which fits in the central socket C of the screw, thus permitting an adjustment of these parts as the wrench is turned, the socket O acting as a pivotal point. In many cases this adjustment is very delicate and for a degree not thicker than a printingline. In order to secure the greatest accuracy, it has therefore been found important to provide the contact-plate C and the camringO with graduations or indicating-marks D which may be set in alinementwith each other when the gage is adjusted into contact with the first plate used, so that any movement in the adjustment of a subsequent plate will be indicated by the difference in alinement between the graduations upon the gage.

The register-gages just described are disposed upon one side and one end of the plate,

while upon the opposite side and end the wedge-clamps E are disposed. These are composed of two parts E and E each having a beveled face E to contact with the inclined walls A of the slot A, within which they are disposed, while the member E is provided upon its upper surface with an angular contact-plate E", havinga beveled edge E to bear against a similar edge B of the plate B, and a wrench-socket E, disposed midway of the length thereof. The member E is provided with a head E adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the base A, and with a transverse slot E adapted to receive one prong of the fork-wrench D. The inner face E of the member E is inclined longitudinally, while the member E is provided with a similar inclined face E so as to secure a lateral wedging of the parts as they are drawn together, this incline being disposed in opposite directions for the side and head clamps, as will be seen in Fig. 1. The clamp is adjusted by introducing a prong D of the fork-wrench into the socket E of one member and the other prong into the slot E of the opposite member, thus moving the members longitudinally to each other,-.producing the wedging action just described. These members may be graduated similar to the register-gage to determine the extent of their movement.

In the operation of the invention the plate to be printed from is secured upon the base in proper position by means of the registergages and wedge-clamps and the desired impressions made therefrom. In multicolor Work this plate is then removed and another plate introduced in its place. This removal is effected by loosening the clamp-wedges to release the first plate, and the plate for the second color is then placed in the same position in contact with the register-gages, which are'still secured at their initial adjustment. Owing to the fact that the plates are seldom exactly alike and that it is frequently desired to produce the second-color impression in exact V alinement with the first or in a positive relation thereto it becomes necessary to efi ect a fine adjustment of the plate to soon re a perfect register for each color. This is done without releasing the initial adjustment of these registcrgages; but by introducing the fork-wrench into the socket of the screw and cam-ring the I latter is rotated upon the screw, the wedgeclamps being still free to move in their slot, and the plate thus adjusted laterally or longitudinally upon the base to the extent desired, this being indicated by the graduations carried by the gage. A proof impression will immediately indicate the extent of movement necessary for the plate to secure perfectregister, and the operator can then by reference to his graduations secure this exact adjustment, thus avoiding the necessity of a number of proof impressions .to secure the accurate register. When the parts are in proper position, the wedge-clamps are tightened and the plate firmly secured for printing. It will be seenthat this gage can be set to any fraction of its full eccentric movement and graduated for a very fine adjustment, while the clamping-plate presents an extended bearing-surface that will not dent the electrotype with which itrcontacts. The structure of wedgeclamp also permits the same to be introduced into the slot at any point by placing the members separately therein and bringing them longitudinally together, and owing to the simple construction thereof no tightening-screws are necessary, while the wedging action is found more reliable than a screw-clamp, and the parts of both the gage and clamp are adapted to be operated by a single tool, such as the fork-wrench. It will also be seen that by forming the clamps for the side and end of the plate with opposite inclines any pressure against them increases the clamping action in the slot, so that they cannot work loose, which is the frequent objection to screwclamps. The split or divided clamping-nutin its upward 'movement contacts with the wall of the channel and also with the threads of the screw, thus effectually clamping the screw against accidental rotation and the loosening of the block and also holding the block firmly in its position in the channel. It will be seen that when these clamp -blocks and wedgeclamps are correctly set in position the plate is held against possible loosening, as the press-cylinder always moves over the plate in one direction, such movement having a tendency to tighten the holding devices, and thus clamp the plate more firmly. The channel or way herein shown is provided with inclined side walls; but these walls may be of any desired configuration and the contact-faces of both the clamping-block and (wedge-clamps corik'lespondingly altered to cooperate therewit It will be obvious that there may be changes made in the construction and configuration without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, a slotted base, a wedge clamp comprising separate members having their adjacent faces inclined, an angular head upon one of said members having a plate-engaging flange extended over the base and provided with a wrench-socket,

and a head upon the opposite member ex- .tended over the base and provided with a wrench-socket.

2. In a device of the class described, abase provided with aslot therein having inclined walls, a wedge-clamp comprising separate members having beveled outer faces and inclined inner faces adapted to contact with each other, an angular graduated head upon one of said members having a plate engaging flange extended over the base and having a wrench-socket therein, and a graduated head upon the cooperating member having a transverse slot therein.

In adevice of the class described, aslotted base, a printing-plate supported thereon, a plate engaging device comprising a basesupported member having a portion projected laterally above said base, a cooperating relatively movable member in contact with the first-mentioned member and having aportion projected laterally above said base, means carried by one of said members for engaging said plate, andmeans for jointly adjusting and securing said members above the bottom of the slot in said base.

4. In a device of the class described, a base plate provided with diagonally-disposed slots therein, a printing-plate, registergages secured in said slots to engage one side and end of said plate, and clamps adj ustablysecured in said slots to engage the opposite side and end of said plate and comprising separate members having inclined contact-faces the faces upon the end and side clamps being disposed in diagonally opposite directions to a Wall of the slot within which it is secured.

5. The combination with a slotted base, of

a clamping device comprising two members each provided with a laterally-pro ecting flange and a divided wedge-shaped depending portion adapted to be suspended Within the slot of the base by said flanges, and means for adjusting and for locking said members in their adjusted position.

6. In a device of the class described, a diagonally-slotted base, a wedge-clamp com 

